Rashid Khan reached the top spot in the men’s T20I wicket-takers’ list with three wickets.
Afghanistan cricket team survived a short innings from Mohammad Wasim to win by 38 runs on Monday, their first match of the competition. Rashid Khan, as usual, led the charge and took 3 wickets for 21 runs to put the UAE team in a tight spot halfway through the innings when they looked like they could chase down the target of 189. In the process, he also set a new record for most wickets in men’s T20 internationals.
Waseem is frequently relied upon by the UAE to deliver a realistic shot, and he delivered just that as he took off. Thanks in large part to their captain, they managed to stay ahead of the asking rate and avoided all of the initial problems Afghanistan faced. However, it always felt like a solo effort, and after he was sent off, nobody was able to match that scoring pace. Afghanistan had enough goals on the scoreboard and with the ball to make the victory appear more impressive than it actually was.
Early jitters
Afghanistan lost the toss and batted first, starting the day bottom of the table, so the pressure was on them. Mohammad Rohit and Junaid Siddiqui bowled three tight overs and conceded just 16 runs. Then, Rohit wobbled and edged Gurbaz to get out, which only increased the pressure. After the home team bowled out the first five overs of the powerplay, Atal and Ibrahim also bowled a few overs.
Afghanistan counterattacks
However, the pair got a chance when UAE brought in pacer Saghir Khan in the last over of the powerplay. Saghir did not improve his distance as the over progressed and the very first ball sailed over midwicket. The Afghanistan team scored eighteen runs and laid a strong foundation for the partnership.
Ibrahim profited when Dhruv Parashar sent down an incorrect over, and Atal used the rest of the partnership to his advantage, finding a four or a six almost every over. With eight overs remaining, Afghanistan had the platform they needed to launch, but the UAE didn’t end the partnership until the Afghanistan 100 was brought up.
Dash of Death
UAE kept Afghanistan in check for the majority of the innings, ensuring they did not get past them. However, that lead evaporated in the final four overs as the wheels came off for the hosts and Afghanistan’s lower middle order put up 49 runs in the next three overs.
The presence of Azmatullah Umarzai was crucial to give his side momentum, with Azmatullah Umarzai hitting a six on the on-side to change the momentum, and Ibrahim followed suit soon after. Umarzai also targeted Saghir, but UAE lost the match when Janat dismissed Rohit, who had conceded only 12 runs and picked up two wickets in his opening three overs. Although Siddiqui bowled an incredible final over, the damage had already been done with Rohit conceding 22 runs with two sixes and two fours.
Rashid Khan’s explosion
In another brilliant display of strength, timing and presence of mind, charismatic captain Wasim put the UAE on the road to victory. He kept up a steady run-rate without taking too many risks. When he smashed a straight six over the sightscreen off Rashid in his second over, there were clear signs that the aggression was not going to stop; by the end of the ninth over, a little over nine runs were needed with eight wickets in hand.
Four deliveries changed all of that. Asif Khan was left to attempt to replicate the valiant efforts that were in vain against Pakistan after Waseem miscued one off Sharafudin Ashraf and was out for a 37-ball 67.
However, Asif misjudged the turn and was dismissed by Rashid’s very first delivery. When the demand started mounting and UAE’s two main attacking batsmen were no longer available, Rashid devastated the batting order and achieved his objective by dismissing Ethan D’Souza and Parashar. The demand was down to around 16 runs, and Afghanistan’s run-rate was slowed by Rahul Chopra’s unbeaten half-century, which he scored with a six off the last ball of the game.
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